Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms

Release Date: December 2019

RRP: 6480 yen

Getting a Kamen Rider Zangetsu stage play five years after Kamen Rider Gaim's final V-cinema release was surprise enough, but for it to also debut a brand new form that received an official S.H. Figuarts release just goes to show that Kamen Rider really wasn't messing around in 2019. Kamen Rider Zangetsu -Gaim Gaiden- saw Yuki Kubota reprise his role as Takatora Kureshima, as he stumbles into an underground city deep below Zawame City. The play also sees Takatora receive a new Lockseed and unlock a brand new form - a form that also makes a brief but very welcome cameo in Kamen Rider Zi-O the Movie: Over Quartzer. ather unsurprisingly S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms was a Tamashii web exclusive release, its arrival at the very end of the decade a sign that just when you think you have them worked out Bandai Tamashii Nations can still be full of surprises. 

It's been a fair few years now so it's a little nostalgic to see that Kamen Rider Gaim box layout on a brand new release again. True to the figures released all those years ago, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms is packaged in a white box, with additional green sections to get that perfect Zangetsu colour scheme. Since it's a windowless web exclusive box it isn't quite the same as Gaim's Kachidoki packaging but it follows the same idea - replacing the fruit cross-section backdrop that adorns the Gaim boxes with a fiery green octagon similar to that of the Kachidoki Lockseed. Of course there's also a picture of the figure itself on the front too, as well as the proper logo for the Kamen Rider Zangetsu -Gaim Gaiden- stage play in the top corner. On the back of the box you'll find more images of the figure in a variety of different poses, as well as a particularly good one on the right spine. Inside, the figure and accessories are stored on the usual moulded clamshell tray.

If there's one thing Kamen Rider Gaim robbed fans of it was a Zangetsu Jimber Melon form. With Gaim having never assumed the form himself and there being both Melon and Melon Energy Lockseeds it should have been a no-brainer, but alas it was never to be seen outside of the SIC line. It's so obvious that it made the reveal of Kachidoki Arms as Zangetsu's next form an even bigger shock, but I'm glad Toei decided to go down this route instead but everything about Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms just works - especially in figure form. Even before getting to the armour itself it's worth noting that whereas previous Zangetsu figures were a strange off-white colour, the undersuit of this one is a perfect bright white colouring. On top of that is the ornate Kachidoki armour, redone in a gorgeous metallic green that perfectly compliments the black, gold and silver highlights carried over from the original version. Much like how Gaim's helmet evolved with this new form Zangetsu also features brand new elements to his head sculpt - most significantly those twin horns crest looping together but also additional black and gold highlights to the main faceplate. While the bulk of it may just be a simple recolour, everything about this version works so well it's almost as though Kachidoki Arms was designed for Zangetsu in the first place.

Like the rest of the Gaim Figuarts that feature a Sengoku Driver, the handle is fully functional and so can be posed in both stationary and "cutting" positions. The open Kachidoki Lockseed features two stickers for the detailing, which feels particularly special in this age of blank Zi-O Ridewatches even if the stickers themselves haven't been positioned properly on my figure. The open Lockseed can also be removed from the belt, and replaced with either the closed version included in this set or any of the other Figuarts-scale Lockseeds you may have in your collection.

The figure is however of course a reworking of the original Kamen Rider Gaim Kaichidoki Arms figure, but there are a few differences other than simply colour that are worth mentioning. On top of the Zangetsu emblem that now emblazons the chest this figure has an all-new head sculpt, giving the white Armoured Rider a thinner, regal looking helmet compared to Gaim's more ornate version. On top of that the flags included with the figure have also been given a bit of an upgrade – whereas Gaim's were simply his personal emblem on a solid orange backdrop, Zangetsu's sport a patterned green background that nicely resemble the merging of both the samurai armour patterns and melon cross-section. Both versions are equally bold and which one is better entirely comes down to preference, but at the very least Zangetsu definitely wins out when it comes to flags.

Even though it's approaching six years old now the base Gaim body is still one of the best S.H. Figuarts has to offer outside of the Shinkocchou Seihou line. In fact it's this body that basically became the template for all modern Kamen Rider Figuarts going forward, with only some modification (and often regression) along the way. Zangetsu features a ball jointed head and neck section, ball jointed waist and torso, bicep swivels, swivel hinge shoulders, double hinge elbows, ball jointed wrists, swivel hinge hips, thigh swivels, double hinge knees, swivel hinge ankle rockers and hinged toe sections. While this results in an incredibly flexible figure, the sheer bulk of the Kachidoki armour means not all of it is necessarily usable. The armour itself has ball jointed shoulder sections on raised hinge pieces, as well as individually hinged skirt pieces. Thanks to the way the shoulder pads work they're flexible enough to be clear of the arms when posing, but there gets to a point where if you raise the arms too much then there isn't anywhere sensible to rest them. Lower down the single hinge flaps actually do a fairly good job of raising out of the way of the upper legs - it isn't perfect, but the range is considerably better than you might expect. The only area that's notably hindered is actually the waist, as those huge silver cables that connect the chest plate to the skirt are fairly rigid and don't offer a lot of give when twisting the torso. The important thing that there's not just enough articulation to make it look good, there's also enough to make sure it can properly balance in those poses too.

The Zangetsu emblem flags can either be attached to the back of the figure or wielded as weapons/banners. As weapons they can simply be held on the extended pole parts that they are attached to in the box, but to attach them to the figure simply pop them off of the handle parts and peg them onto to the silver plug pieces on either side of the armour backpack. Here they can be tilted and rotated as you see fit. When not in use, these plug pieces can also be removed from the backpack to make the design a little cleaner/more accurate. Like the ones included with Gaim the flags are made of solid plastic rather than a soft goods material, but the added patterning Zangetsu's have definitely make them feel like more of a premium product. With or without the flags on the back the Kachidoki sculpt is one of the most elaborate and impressive the Gaim range has to offer, but having them attached doesn't just give Zangetsu that authentic samurai look – it also makes the overall silhouette a hell of a lot more imposing.

Zangetsu's accessory count is largely similar to that of Gaim's, but with a few minor omissions. Altogether the figure comes with two additional pairs of hands (open and weapon holding), the Zangetsu Bata flags, a closed version of the Zangetsu Kachidoki Lockseed and the combined "Taiken Mode" Musou Saber/DJ Gun weapon. The standard DJ gun is no longer included, and with it the additional pair of hands Gaim came with intended to hold that weapon. It's a shame since this means Zangetsu Kachidoki only comes with a combined weapon and neither of its separate forms, but presumably it's because this is the only version that was used in the stage show itself. The Taiken Mode sword has had a little bit of a makeover though, sporting the Zangetsu decal on the Musou Blade hilt as well as more appropriate green and gold colouring instead of the standard's orange and silver. The new colour scheme makes a world of difference, and despite it being exactly the same weapon does help it feel that little bit more fresh. As with the previous release, the two Lockseeds (or any other one for that matter) can also be attached to the weapon for those final attack poses.

The wrist joints on the figure are fairly sturdy but there may be some difficulty swapping the hands due to the small size of the joints and how deeply they sit within the cuffs, which was exactly the same on the Gaim version of the figure as well. If there are any issues, just apply a little heat and they should connect fine.

While some might argue that Tamashii's time would have been better spent finally releasing the half a dozen or so Kamen Rider Gaim figures that never saw the light of day, S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zangetsu Kachidoki Arms is the kind of left-field release the line needs every so often to keep it interesting. For a stage show exclusive form to finally get an official figure after all this time is still mind-boggling, and between the minor remoulds and new colour scheme Kamen Rider Zangetsu has never looked better. Sure the fact this figure is around 2000 yen more than Gaim Kachidoki Arms was and comes with less stings a little (and acts as a reminder of how Figuarts prices have risen over time), but this is definitely one for the Gaim completists out there and they'll absolutely love it. If this is the last Kamen Rider Gaim Figuart we get (outside of the inevitable Shinkocchou Seihou ones of course), this certainly isn't a bad one to go out on.